Angel Beats! – I’m not done yet

What actually got me into writing this entry was actually Yuri’s statement “Try to be flexible. Accept things as they are”. Accepting things as they are means flexibility? Hell no Yuri, you are actually trying to be hypocrite when you tried to say that to Otonashi. The fact that you guys are rebelling against “God” already says that you are not accepting things as they are! Doesn’t that make you same as Otonashi trying to be cynical with all the things happening? And yet, you are trying to blame Otonashi for being so hesitant in joining the Front at first.

I’ve always felt that something is wrong with this show and I’d say it would be the establishment of facts, however relevant or irrelevant they could be. For example, the existence of guns, the source of Angel Player software, and many other things. This makes me remember the feeling I had when I watched Cencoroll wherein I ranted on how half-baked it was and somehow presumptuous that the audience already know half of the stuff when the audience actually do know nothing. Now about that, I’ve read some entries as well contrary to mine saying they actually admire it for being creative and something that would actually lead you to imagining things for yourself.

If you apply this thing to Angel Beats! I just don’t know if it is justified if I just assume guns are indeed actually just made of dust molded into that shape, and there it goes, it is a gun already. More like, To Aru universe wherein the students have their own personal realities, which dictates the reality itself. This, I highly doubt is the situation in the Angel Beats! universe, so now, how would I be able to establish what is real? If I would be citing Track Zero, it is said there that they could be capable of rearranging the atoms and thus, create something out of dust. This is rather anachronistic considering the place is supposedly a haven for them to seek fulfillment.

Also, Yuri and the others have thus far reasoned out that they knew how things work because they experienced it themselves, just as how they believe that they might disappear if they try to take the classes seriously. In the first place, we knew in episode 9 that Otonashi has actually studied seriously after what has happened to his sister so he tried to pursue a college degree in medicine. If we try to apply that concept of being fulfilled as the reason of disappearing, things just seems off. In the very first place, when Otonashi was still alive, he was already serious in studying, would that make him disappear even if he tried to study hard as well in the Angel Beats! universe? Not right? I mean how could that possibly make him fulfilled or satisfied in anyway if he’s done that already many times. See now? There is a very weak establishment of how things do really work in the Angel Beats.

I also find it odd that Kanade was able to get hold of the Angel Player while the others didn’t. More like, it was customized for her, even though that wasn’t the case as explained in ep 12. Moreover, she existed long before Otonashi came to that universe when it was Otonashi himself who had his heart donated so Kanade could keep on living, based from the last episode. Just like how Otonashi said it on the last episode, it was even somehow an anomaly for him to wander off to that place because he was indeed fulfilled when he “died”. Because of this, I’m starting to think that the universe might probably not really a purgatory-like place but just a wrinkle in space where people who died just like them often wander to, and it just happened that those who came across the place all similarly have a scarred life, when they were still alive.

One weakness as well I saw was the existence of Guild. It was rather convenient for Chaa and the others to meekly accept the end of it all during ep 12. Also, now that I’ve finished reading Track Zero, it was explained there that they can rearrange the atoms for it to transform into something you remember from your memories. If I’ll go back to that certain event where other Guild members were going to fire that cannon-like thing to Kanade, I still don’t understand why they messed up on firing it. I mean, if they were able to build such thing, then they should also be able to control it, unless those who build it already disappeared — but this wasn’t the case because they do know by the looks of how they operated it.

The full packed underlying plot during the latter episode 12 was also confusing. I actually didn’t understand a thing… I mean the ending was even hardly related to the shadows incident. I think Angel Beats would have done better if they didn’t indulged the story with so many technicalities such as the shadows, the guild, the angel player, etc. Instead, they would have focused on that message Jun Maeda said he was trying to convey to the audience, which is — life is something precious and wonderful.

If I’ll summarize what I felt when everything ended… It has to be foiled.

I started to watch Angel Beats! at face value from the earlier episodes but you raised some valid points. Otonashi and Kanade are both fucked up in this series

foomafoo says: June 27, 20101:57 am

Yes, especially Kanade… I don't get it why she has to be passive during the earlier episodes and then turned to be active during the latter when things would have been smoother if she resolved things with Yuri much earlier.

Topspin says: June 27, 20101:45 am

Angel Beats isn’t the kind of show that lends itself to such analysis.. it’s clear they didn’t have enough time to properly develop or realize the setting or plot, and that they would have been better off telling just the core story and leaving out most of the nonsensical stuff. The more you analyze it, the less you’ll probably enjoy it.. so it’s up to you 🙂

Personally, I think the fact that they twisted one last time with the “shadows” took it from overkill to stupid. But I guess they needed a convenient way to wrap up the remaining side-character’s plots. I think the sheer number of characters was the biggest problem, because they were mostly just pointless distractions to flesh out a setting that didn’t need fleshing out to begin with. It might have been more moving if they were people who’s lives were saved by Otonashi, but there are only so many organs he could have donated..

foomafoo says: June 27, 20101:55 am

Yeah. I guess so — It's just that, of course if they introduced something out of ordinary, the tendency is for you to be curious about it… Just like the Guild, the source of the guns, and the angel player for example.

Yes, that definitely made the show stupid… This certain human character appeared from nowhere supposedly has been pulling some threads at their back. I think there just has to be this "tragedy" as well in the world wherein Yuri, as the leader, would be given the chance to protect the others, in order to wrap-up her regret when she was still alive.

Yep, there were many characters who didn't really contributed in the development of the story, particularly TK. I don't get why he attracts so many viewers.